Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused the Greens of seeking to “cause division in the Australian community”, through supporting anti-Israel rhetoric and backing disruptive pro-Palestine protests.
The minor party has come under increasing pressure from both sides of politics due to inflammatory and at times misleading comments made about the ongoing war in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Mr Albanese joined forces with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to launch a blistering attack on the Greens’ support for “unacceptable” pro-Palestinian protests targeting the offices of MPs, while the minor party has also come under fire for spreading misinformation about Australia’s military exports.
The fight over Israeli relations escalated further on Thursday, with Greens leader Adam Bandt threatening to sue Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over comments made regarding his party’s encouragement of protestors.
Following an early attack on the minor party from Mr Dutton, Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather rose to demand the Prime Minister cancel a $917 million contract with Elbit Systems – an Israeli firm which has done prior work on other Australian army capabilities.
In response, Mr Albanese first noted that Australia had not exported weapons or ammunition to Israel “in the last five years” before chastising Mr Chandler-Mather for deliberately confusing export permits for components of military equipment with arms sales.
Before he could continue, however, the Greens MP rose again to call a point of order, telling Speaker Milton Dick “the Prime Minister was asked specifically about the Elbit Systems contract, the $917 million one this government has awarded, he has not mentioned it once. Not once. His answer is not relevant to the question”.
That prompted Leader of the House Tony Burke to rise on a counter point of order, noting Mr Chandler-Mather had referenced more than just the contract in his question and that Mr Albanese was entitled to touch on other related points.
Speaker Dick agreed, telling the Greens MP the Prime Minister had been “directly relevant”, before inviting him to resume his response.
Rising to continue, Mr Albanese then launched a scathing attack on the Greens over their attempts to “weaponise” anti-Israel sentiment for their own political gains.
“It is beyond my comprehension why anyone in this place would seek to suggest that Australia were participants in a conflict when we are not. When we are simply not,” he said.
“When we have called for repeatedly, repeatedly, for ceasefire.
“They seek, in a divisive way, to raise these issues in order to then weaponise them and cause division in the Australian community.”
The Prime Minister then called Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy to provide an additional response.
Mr Conroy immediately launched into a fierce attack on the “misinformation” put forward by Mr Chandler-Mather, insisting he was aware Hanwha did not hold the contract directly with the government before Speaker Dick cut his microphone and told him to resume his seat.
The contract in dispute, which is not directly with the Australian government, forms part of a joint venture with Hanwha Defence Australia to build the new AS21 Redback infantry fighting vehicle.
In a statement earlier this year, Elbit Systems confirmed it would provide “advanced protection, fighting capabilities and sensors” for the vehicles over a five year period.
Mr Chandler-Mather noted the company had also produced the drone used by Israeli forces to bomb the World Central Kitchen convoy, killing several aid workers including Australian Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom.
The Greens MP went to claim several nations had blacklisted Elbit Systems for “violations of humanitarian law”, before asking why the contract remained in place.
The back and forth over Elbit Systems followed a heated exchange between Mr Albanese and the opposition leader, during which the Prime Minister forcefully ruled out any future partnership with the Greens – partially as a result of their recent conduct.
In the first question of Thursday’s session, Mr Dutton rose to ask whether the Prime Minister would commit to preferencing Greens candidates last at the next election, which drew a barb from Mr Albanese over the Coalition’s preference deals with One Nation.
Undeterred, Mr Dutton rose again, this time demanding to know whether Mr Albanese would consider any form of partnership with the Greens should Labor fail to secure a majority at the next election.
“Prime Minister, given the antisemitic conduct of the Greens political party and the Prime Minister’s justified condemnation of them yesterday, will the Prime Minister rule out governing with the support of the Greens?” he asked.
That sparked loud objections from Labor MPs, which in turn caused uproar in the ranks of the Coalition and prompted Speaker Dick to call for order on all sides of the House.
Once relative calm was restored, the Prime Minister rose to respond, laying into Mr Dutton, but also dealt a blow to the Greens slim hopes of negotiating a power sharing arrangement should Labor fail to secure a majority.
“He’s very angry, the Leader of the Opposition and perhaps he’s angry because one by one there’s people who were sitting there who go and sit up the back there (on the crossbench). One by one, he loses people,” Mr Albanese said.
“We seek as the Australian Labor Party to govern by ourselves. We don’t (want), and aren’t, part of a coalition, you are.
“The Australian Labor Party proudly does not govern in coalition with any political party. Nor will we in the future.”